Mouth of the Midwest

Ames, Iowa- The ball is in the air ….

Iowa State Cyclones routed Mississippi Valley State last night.

The Cyclones are ranked 5th in the nation and boast a deep roster. Dishon

Jackson – a transfer from Charlotte is a beast. 6-11, 274 with great hands and footwork!

Hilton Coliseum features a new scoreboard flashing game action; the best student section in America; and a boisterous home court advantage. 

Prediction: Elite 8 and if the Cyclones stay healthy a trip to San Antonio and the Final Four.

Iowa state plummets…

Serving up some ‘Tricks & Treats’ on this 🎃 Halloween…

Anthony Rizzo gets the most blame for his blunder in the disastrous 5th inning last night. The soon-to-be former Yankee first baseman needed to run to the bag – he had plenty of time – to cut down Mookie Betts and end the inning.

Rizzo’s days in NY are over as he can’t hit a lick either.

Enjoy the day as we serve up Brock Hines on the show tonight at 6p Eastern and then on multi-airings on the Overnight …

Mark Walter Principal Owner of the LA Dodgers is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

LA Times – Dodgers Beat Yankees

Boston Herald – Smashing Pumpkins

Alive and Kicking! The New York Yankees still have a pulse, perhaps a strong one too. The Yanks finally put together some offense spurred by Anthony Volpe’s 3rd inning grand slam 

whipping the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 4 of the World Series …. 

As you and can hear and see in the video above, these two fan bases provide some interesting repartee during the games sitting alongside each other … 

Still down 3 games to 1, the Yankees appear poised to put together one of their patented offensive onslaughts. 

Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton are just too good to tamp down for an entire series.

Tonight: Yankees in another high-scoring affair.

If you bring the kids, pack ear buds!

Today on the show, Iowa State CB Beau Freyler on his Campbell Trophy nomination …

LA Rams WR Puca Nacua- live from Los Angeles …

Tyler LaVigne on EPL Weekend …

Zayd Hussein on NFL North ….

Some idle thoughts while riding the train …

NY Football, specifically the Giants & Jets, is a mess. World Championship #28 by the Yankees covers a lot of the Football Failings …

Relax Knicks fans. The beat down in Boston was more about the Celtics supremacy than the Knicks failings. 

Mikal Bridges might have the ugliest jump shot I’ve ever seen. His shot form rivals Charles Barkley’s golf swing … 

Told ya’ Vikings would come back to earth. Missed face mask call was bad, but game was essentially over in any event … 

Central Florida beats BYU tomorrow!

Ah, and Penn State is ripe for the picking as well. Wisconsin finally getting its act together.

Jack Flaherty on his best is capable of tossing a gem tonight to open the World Series. But, the Dodgers righty is way off his velocity and command and Yankees very well could feast this evening. 

Dodgers in 7 is the pick. Ohtani and Mookie rise to the occasion …

UFC 308 Main Event Breakdown

By: Zayd Hussein

In an electrifying main event, Ilia T opuria faces off against Max Holloway for the Undisputed Featherweight Championship. T opuria, boasting an undefeated record of 15-0, has yet to taste defeat in the octagon. His most recent victory came in a stunning knockout over former #1 Pound-for-Pound fighter Alexander Volkanovski, earning him the championship belt.

As the reigning champion, T opuria’s relentless pressure and devastating power pose a significant challenge for Holloway. I anticipate Holloway will find himself on the back foot early and often, struggling to cope with T opuria’s striking prowess. With some of the best boxing in the UFC, T opuria only needs one punch to put Max’s lights out.

Expect nothing less than excellence and dominance from T opuria in his first title defense. I predict he will retain his championship and solidify his status as the undisputed champion!

Really TNT?! You cut away to Door Dash commercial as the Celtics raise their 18th Championship banner to the Boston Garden rafters. This after a lengthy pregame build up with the best cast in TV sports: Ernie, Shaq, Sir Charles and Kenny. File under: Oh well.

Yankees – Dodgers is so much more than Judge vs. Ohtani. Can’t wait. 

Both lineups instill justified FEAR to pitching staffs. Feeling like 3 hour plus games and lots of runs and no lead will be safe. Bring in on. 

BYU is an underdog at Central Florida on Saturday. Iowa State knows exactly why. And Utah has fallen apart. 

Cyclones enjoy  much-needed bye week. Texas Tech looms a week from Saturday in Ames. Dangerous.

Is this it for Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz? 

Hope not, but it starting to feel like this could be a time where he calls it a career.  The Hawkeyes are a very solid program and the job when it does open will be highly coveted. 

What Indiana is doing this year in football is incredible to watch. 

Hoosiers and Buckeyes in a few weeks looms large.

Illinois vs. Michigan: Recap
By Zayd Hussein

In a thrilling showdown that honored a century of history, No. 22 Illinois triumphed over No. 24 Michigan with a decisive 21-7 victory in the Rededication Game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This electrifying match took place exactly 100 years and a day after the legendary Red Grange dazzled fans with six touchdowns against Michigan, making it a historic occasion for the Fighting Illini.

While Michigan struggled to find rhythm in the air, suffering a staggering five sacks—their highest in six years—Illinois’ defense stood firm, making crucial stops that turned the tide. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer may have completed only 9 of 18 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown, but it was the ground game that truly shone, racking up an impressive 187 rushing yards. The exhilaration was palpable as the Illini celebrated their first home-ranked victory since October 12, 1991, in front of a roaring sellout crowd of 60,670 fans.

Emotions ran high in the post-game press conference, where coach Bret Bielema paid heartfelt tribute to his mother, who passed away two years ago on this very day, adding a deeply personal touch to the victory.

With their spirits high, the Fighting Illini now set their sights on a challenging matchup against No. 2 Oregon next week. Fans won’t want to miss this thrilling encounter, kicking off Saturday, October 26, at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS from the iconic Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon!

Still buzzing after the Cleveland Guardians dramatic, perhaps season-saving win last night over the NY Yankees! Gotta’ love October playoff baseball!

So much for the Yankees sweep I suggested just yesterday.

The Mets appeared headed to a “Hey, we had a great season but….”

The fact is the Mets have a nucleus to build upon, yet free agency could see slugger Pete Alonso going elsewhere for crazy money. 

Iowa State might be ripe for a struggle Saturday night and here’s why:

Central Florida is a talented team that has underachieved all season. Maybe they’d relish a “spoiler” role and a win over the Cyclones would be exactly that. ISU is very good and the road win at West Virginia was more impressive than it appears. So much so, a letdown scenario is definitely in play. 

Weekend: Dodgers clinch; Notre Dame survives Georgia Tech; Alabama springs the upset at Austin; Vikings put a 1 in the loss column.

Illinois vs. Michigan: A Must-Watch Showdown!

By Zayd Hussein

Get ready for an exciting matchup as Illinois takes on Michigan! TheWolverines, fresh off a bye week, come in as 3.5-point favorites, but the Fighting Illini are brimming with confidence after their nail-biting 50-49 overtime win against Purdue. With a solid 5-1 record this season, they’re not to be underestimated.

However, Illinois has a tough blow to overcome. Head coach Bret Bielema has confirmed that star running back Kaden Feagin will miss another game. That’s a significant loss—Feagin has been a standout this season, rushing for 306 yards and three touchdowns, including a stellar 108-yard performance in the opener.

On the other hand, Michigan has been searching for its offensive spark. They currently rank near the bottom of the FBS with just 53 plays that have gained 10 or more yards. They’ll need to step up if they want to keep the Illini in check.

Despite the injury setback, Illinois is firing on all cylinders with a scoring average of 31 points per game, placing them 49th nationally. If they can keep that momentum, scoring over 30 points could be the key to covering that 3.5-point spread.

This game promises to be tightly contested and might just come down to the wire. I’m leaning with the home crowd and team Illinois +3.5 for the win! Get ready for a thrilling clash!

Our Zayd Hussein heads downstate Illinois from his nest in Chicago to report on Illinois & Michigan Saturday in Champaign/Urbana… his preview blog tomorrow right here.

The Guardians look gassed. Might be wrong but a sweep by the Yankees is on the horizon? 

Texas HAS to beat Georgia Saturday, right?  Love to see it and, better yet, a newbie from the Big 12 wins the SEC first year of membership. 

Giovanna Scroggins posted nice video of her drawing out an Oklahoma fan at the Cotton Bowl prior to Red River rivalry Saturday in Dallas. Check it out above …

Tonight: Yankees, Mets and Saints.

I would like to welcome the X Stream Sports station to the Sports Overnight America family!

You can check them out here

Special shout out to Shane Will!